G7
G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Karuizawa, Nagano
(Overview of the “Afghanistan and Central Asia” Session)
April 17, 2023
On April 17, commencing at 4:30 p.m., Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, hosted the “Afghanistan and Central Asia” session, for approximately 60 minutes. The overview of the talk is as follows. (Attended by the G7 Foreign Ministers and the Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs, European External Action Service (EEAS) (Attending on behalf of the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy).)
- Regarding Afghanistan, Minister Hayashi expressed serious concern regarding the worsening human rights and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, and, in particular, strongly condemned the recent decisions by the Taliban that suppress human rights, including increased restrictions on women’s rights. Minister Hayashi also explained Japan’s analysis of the situation on the ground, as one of the few major donor countries with a presence in Kabul, and emphasized the need to engage persistently and directly with the Taliban, while continuing to provide assistance to the people of Afghanistan in cooperation with the international community.
- Following this, the G7 Foreign Ministers confirmed their strong opposition to the Taliban’s increasing restrictions on human rights and fundamental freedoms, especially condemning the violation of women’s and girls’ rights, and that the G7 should convey unified messages to the Taliban, prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorism, and that the unimpeded access of aid workers is essential for effective delivery of assistance, among other matters.
- In addition, regarding Central Asia, Minister Hayashi pointed out the importance of supporting efforts to respond to the specific issues facing the five Central Asian countries through dialogue with the five Central Asian countries, which many G7 members conduct, as well as bilateral dialogue with each country, and the G7 Foreign Ministers shared the view that the G7 will continue to cooperate in responding to the various issues in the region.